December 8, 2024

A Note from the Director

Dear Families,

It's a time of year when students and staff are inspired to learn, create and do for others. Scroll down to read about new student businesses that teach skills and create beautiful products for your home and gift-giving. Look for the deadlines in purple to order handmade holiday greenery and plants, shop for books through our book fair, and donate items to the Endeavors food drive.

Also mark your calendar for the pre-break spirit week and make sure to attend this Wednesday's online PTA meeting to get involved with upcoming PTA family events and initiatives.

Finally, we are so very grateful to families who supported our Giving Tuesday campaign. Our Annual Fund campaign is ongoing to raise funds for student and staff programs and excellence. We hope you will consider Ivymount in your seasonal giving.

With appreciation,

Susan

News you Need!

Dates to Remember

December 16 - 20

Spirit Week

December 23 - January 3

Winter Break

No School for Students

January 6

Professional Day

No School for Students

January 20

MLK Jr. Holiday/ Inauguration Day

No School for Students

PTA News

December 11

PTA Virtual Meeting

7 pm

The PTA invites all Ivymount School families to participate in the next PTA meeting, which will be held online. Bring your ideas and get ready to hear about upcoming events for Ivymount School.

Click Here to Join the Meeting

Aspire Students Stir Up Business

at the Hot Chocolate Cafe

Aspire students have opened a delicious new school business just in time for the chilliest season! At the Hot Chocolate business, students practice important vocational skills while serving up sweet treats for staff and classmates. Students take orders and prepare custom drinks, including fun add-ins like snowman marshmallows and peppermint stirrers while practicing skills such as customer service and money management. Students and staff can stop by this creative new cocoa cafe on Wednesdays from 12-12:30 PM.

Scholastic Book Fair Still Open Online

Shop Online through Sunday, December 15

Are you hoping to "raise a reader"? Scholastic has books for every age group and many interests such as animals, dragons, fantasy, video games, sports, vehicles and more. There are also books bundles, holiday stocking stuffers, e-gift cards, learning resource books and recommendations for toddlers to teens. When you shop the book fair online through December 15, 25% of every online purchase benefits Ivymount School!

Ready to shop? Here's how:

Visit: http://www.scholastic.com/bf/ivymountschool
Scroll to the bottom of the page to the “Shop Even More Titles and Contribute to Our School” section. Click "Shop Now."
Make sure to sign in or create an account so the proceeds benefit Ivymount School.

Student-Crafted Evergreen Sale!

Order by Noon on Tuesday, December 17

The Garden Grove student business run by Aspire Post High School students invites you to order holiday greenery and plants. The living centerpieces can be customized with your choice of bow color. They are crafted from a variety of materials such as pinecones, holly, and evergreen branches. These centerpieces can be placed on a table or mantel place in any home. Add a bit of water every few days to the Floral Brick in your centerpiece, and watch your greenery stay vibrant and lively throughout the holiday season this winter.

There will also be a selection of house plants available for purchase that students have been cultivating in the classroom over the year. Place your order by Noon on Tuesday, December 17. All orders will be delivered to classrooms/offices on or before Wednesday, December 18. There will also be a pick up option for anyone wanting to collect their plants/centerpiece from the PHS on December 18 from 9:30 am -12 pm.

Order Your Greenery Here

Endeavors Collecting for Food Drive

Donate through Wednesday, December 18

The Endeavors school program is excited to announce its third annual food drive. During the month of December, Endeavors middle/secondary students will collect, sort, and deliver non-perishable food to Manna Food Center a local nonprofit and also one of Ivymount School's community jobsite partners. Donations will be accepted through Wednesday, December 18.

Send food donations in with your student or drop them off at the front desk. The students are looking for non-perishable foods such as:

grains such as oatmeal, rice and pasta
proteins like canned tuna, beans and nut butters
fruit cups and canned vegetables
cooking oil
shelf-stable milk and infant formula

Mark Your Calendars for Spirit Week!

It will soon be time to participate in a Winter Spirit Week to count down to winter break. So get your mismatched clothes, sports teams, favorite hats, Ivymount colors, and PJ's ready and show some spirit for the week of December 16 - December 20. Let's have some fun!

PTA NEWS AND UPDATES

Help Plan the Next St. Patrick's Day Dance

The St. Patrick's Day School Dance in the spring will be a celebration for all programs and ages across the entire school. We're excited to once again bring together our incredible community for an evening filled with music, laughter, and fantastic vibes.

We need a couple of volunteers now to help the PTA's VP of Events with the early organizing. The plan is ready but needs a few hands to get the arrangements underway. We will ask for night of volunteers later in our planning.

If you enjoyed last year's dance and can help make this a shamrockin' good time, contact Gillian Economou.

Consider Ivymount this Giving Season

THANK YOU to families who donated to Ivymount on #GivingTuesday! Your gift was doubled through a match sponsored by longtime supporters Penney Design Group and Pohanka Automotive. We're partway towards the $1 million dollars that Ivymount raises annually to cover the gap between state-funded tuition and the actual cost of providing our educational and therapeutic services.

Your one-time or recurring donation at any amount will be invested in staff training, professional development, curricula and other initiatives so that every student and staff "CAN" achieve their goals. Click and share our link to the Ivymount Annual Fund. Thank you!

onecau.se/supportivymount